To quote silkiechicken "I just don't see leaving a 5-10 year old child at home alone for 6 hours a day even if both parents were able to shift their work hours... if they even can."
I don't think anyone would be leaving their children unsupervised. I have been homeschooling my children since my oldest entered kindergarden, she is in sixth grade now. I have worked the entire time to some degree. For six years I delivered newspapers, which gave me an unusual schedule that allowed me to work while Dad was at home with them and if it weren't for me doing so, our boat would have sunk a long time ago. Like any other dual income household, we made some sacrifices and we worked around each other, to allow us to raise our children. You are talking of latch key kids, that problem is usually associated with public school...
Public school was the best option for you, you really enjoyed it and I think that is great but it isn't that way for everyone. That is what is wonderful about choice, we can all make the choice that fits our lives the best. When my kids are driving me batty, I threaten to send them to public school, when my best friend's kids drive her batty, she threatens to homeschool them... both threats seem to work.
I live in a great small town and two years ago this spring all chaos broke out
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12442731/ If my oldest daughter was in public school, this is where she would be going to school, as it is were 6th through 8th grade school. They are now talking of putting in metal detectors. Children are taught of lockdown procedures and practice these skills as often as school bus evacuations and firedrills... I can't wrap my mind around it.